Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 18, 1945. J. L. GIBSON REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E S N E D N O C O-rdi On-dSU v INTOR. BY M7 4.

D 8, 1 J. L. G IBSON 2,391,151

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 18, 1945 2,391,151 nnrarenasrnvo arram'ros J Lowell Gibson, Dayton, Ohio, asslgnor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application February 14, 1944, Serial No.'522,211

8 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to an improved selfcontained air conditioning unit.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a self-contained air conditioning unit of the type which is adapted to be mounted on a window sill and which is capable of either cooling air or heating air for an enclosure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a self-contained air conditioning unit which incorporates means whereby both the evaporator fan and the condenser fan may be used for exhausting air from the room to the outside.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved damper arrangement for controlling the flow of airthrough a self-contained air conditioning unit. I

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view showin the arrangement of the evaporator and the cone denser within the main casing and also showing one possible arrangement of the dampers when the apparatus is used for cooling purposes;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of the dampers when the unit is used for heating the air;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line :-'-a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 diagrammatically shows a modified. damper arrangement which may be substituted for the damper arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. '4 showing a modified damper construction.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral I 0 designatesthe main casing or cabinet within which the air conditioning apparatus is adapted to be mounted. Reference numeral l2 designates a partition which separates the cabinet into an evaporator compartment l4 and a condenser compartment I 6.

A refrigerating apparatus is mounted within the cabinet l0 and includes a conventional motor-compressor unit I8, a condenser 20 and an evaporator 22.

Compressed refrigerant vapor flows from the compressor l8 into the condenser 20 through the line .24. The liquifled refrigerant flows from the .condenser 20 into the evaporator 22 through the liquid lin 28 wherein a refrigerant flow control device 28 is provided as shown. The refrigerant flow control device 28 may be of the fixed re-.

stricter type or it may be any suitable type of ex pansion valve. The vaporized refrigerant leaves the evaporator 22 through the usual suction line The moisture which condenses on the evaporator 22 collects in the condensate collecting receptacle 32 mounted beneath the evaporator 22. A drain pipe 34 conveys the condensate into the. receptacle 36 mounted in the condenser compartment as shown. The receptacle 38 has one portion thereof disposed beneath the condenser fan 38 with the result that if the condensate does not vaporize fast enough on its own accord it will be atomized by the condenser fan 38 which is arranged to dip into the upper portion of the receptacle 36. The motor compressor unit [8 has its lower portion disposed within the receptacle 36 so as to heat the condensate. This form of condensate disposal is shown for purposes of illustration only as other forms of condensate disposal means may be used.

The evaporator compartment is provided with a room air inlet 39 and an outside air inlet piwhich are arranged side-by side in the end wall of the cabinet I whereby a single damper 42 may be used for controlling the flow of air through both inlets. By virtue of this damper arrangement it is possible to introduce all fresh air, all recirculated air or a mixture of fresh air and recirculated air without ever materially altering the total quantity of airintroduced into the evapwhen the apparatus is called upon to cool air for the enclosure. A second pair of condenser com partment openings 58 and 60 are provided as shown and serve when the apparatus is used for heating recirculated room air. The openings 58 land 60 are controlled by the slide damper 50 which also controls the evaporator compartment 1 opening 44. The condenser air inlet 54 is con- '42, 50 and 52 slide horizontally within suitable platform 64 which extends only part way across the cabinet as shown in Fig. 3. A vertical dividing wall 66 which extends from the top wall 68 of the cabinet III to the bottom wall 10 of the cabinet l separates the condenser compartment it into two sections as shown. A vertical wall 12 extends between the wall 66 and the partition I! so as toprovide a vertically extending duct 14 for conveying air entering the condenser inlet to into the horizontal duct is which is bounded by the platform 64, the bottom wall I0, the partitions I2 and the wall 66. By virtue of this duct arrangement, room air may be introduce into the condenser compartmentvia the inlet 60, duct 14 and duct 16 as shown in Fig. 2.

A fan motor 80 is mounted in the condenser compartment l6 as shown. This motor drives the condenser fan 38 and the evaporator fan 86. The fan 38 is disposed within the opening 86 in the wall-66 and the evaporator fan 86 is disposed within an opening 88 in the wall 90 as shown.

Fig. 1 shows the arrangement of the dampers and the air flow when the apparatus is used for cooling 100% recirculated room air. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the dampers and the air flow when the apparatus is used for heating recirculated room air. Only the one portion of the condenser 20 is traversed by the air flowing through the condenser compartment l6 when the apparatus is used for heating the air. This serves to increase the temperature at which the condenser is operated. The increased condenser temperature is beneficial not only from the standpoint of raising th temperature of the air discharged into the room but also from the standpoint of increasing the efficiency of the refrigerating apparatus during the heating cycle when the cold outside air circulated over the evaporator will of course be at a temperature much lower than the temperature of the warm room air circulated over the evaporator during the cooling cycle.

By arranging the dampers as shown in Fig. 4, both of the fans serve to pull air from the room 46 and to discharge the air into the outside atmosphere. It will be noted that the damper 62 is placed in front of the opening 58 when the apps,-

ratus is used for exhausting air from the room to the outside.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified arrangement of da/mpers which make it possible to change over the apparatus from a. heating apparatus to a cooling apparatus without the necessity of manually resetting a large number of manually operated dampers. Since the arrangement of the refrigerating apparatus and the openings in Fig. 5 is the same as in the other figures, the same reference numerals have been used to designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 5, dampers of the shutter type have been substituted for the slide dampers shown in Fig. l. A damper operating cable I00 simultaneously operates all the dampers. The cable I00 is guided by the rollers Hi2 located in the corners of the cabinet as shown. It has been found that many users of air conditioning units have difliculty in operating the apparatus if the apparatus requires more than one or two simple adjustments. It is apparent therefore that the provision of a common means for operating all of the dampers in unison avoids the need for making several independent adjustments.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An air conditioning unit comprising a casing adapted to be positioned in-a window 01' a space to be conditioned, the front wall and at least a portion of the sides, bottom and top of said casing extending into the space to be conditioned, a partition dividing said easing into two chambers, each of the chambers having a pair of openings leadingto the outside atmosphere and another pair of openings leading to the space to be conditioned, fan means for flowing air through each 'of said chambers, a refrigerating system including an evaporator in one of said chambers and a condenser in another of said chambers, and means for rendering certain of said openings ineffective at times including means for blocking the flow of air through one portion of said condenser when condenser air is discharged into the conditioned space. I

2. Air conditioning apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure having a wall opening comprising in combination, a cabinet adapted for mounting in. said wall opening with portions ex-' posed on opposite sides of said wall, means dividing said cabinet into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment, refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in said condenser compartment, said cabinet having openings for the ingress and egress .of air, means for flowing outside air in thermal exchange with said evaporator, means for flowing air from said enclosure in thermal exchange with said condenser I and for returning the air heated thereby into said enclosure, and means for blocking of! a portion of said condenser when air from said enclosure is circulated in thermal exchange with said condenser.

3. Air conditioning apparatus for conditioning air in an enclosure comprising in combination, a cabinet, refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator and a condenser within said cabinet, means separating said cabinet into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment, each of said compartments having openings for the ingress and egress of air, one of said condenser compartment openings communicating with the air in said enclosure, one of said evaporator compartment openings communicating with the air in said enclosure, and a sliding damper means for simultaneously closing one of said last named openings and opening the other- 4. Air conditioning apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure having a wall opening comprising inv combination, a cabinet adapted for mounting in said wall opening with p rtions p jecting on opposite sides of said wall, means dividing said cabinet into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment, refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in said condenser compartment, means including a fan for drawing outside air in over one portion of said condenser and discharging said air to the outside over another portion of said condenser,

and means including a damper for closing off said condenser and discharging said air to the outside over another portion of said condenser, and means including a damper for closing off the flow .of outside air over said condenser and for directing air from said enclosure over one portion of said condenser, said last named means including means for blocking oi the flow of air over another portion of said condenser.

6. Air conditioning apparatus for conditionin air for an enclosure having a wall opening comprising in combination, a cabinet adapted for mounting in said wall opening with portion projecting on opposite sides of said wall, means dividing said cabinet into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment, refrigcrating apparatus including an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in said condenser compartment, means including a fan for drawing outside air in over one portion of said condenser and discharging said air to the outside over another portion of said condenser, and means including a damper for closing off the flow of outside air over said condenser and for directing air from said enclosure over one portion of said condenser, said last named means including a duct leading from the room and passing through said wall opening and leading into the condenser compartment.

'7. Air conditioning apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure having a wall opening comprising in' combination, a cabinet adapted for mounting in said wall opening with portions projecting on opposite sides of said wall, means dividing said cabinet into an evaporator compart ment and a'condenser compartment, refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in said condenser compartment, means including a fan for drawing outside air in over one portion of said condenser and discharging said air to the .outside over another portion of said condenser,

and means including a damper for closing oil the flow of outside air over said condenser and for directing air from said enclosure over one portion of said condenser, said last named means including a duct leading from the room and passing through said wall opening and leading into the condenser compartment, said duct having a vertical portion adjacent the front wall of said cabinet and a horizontal portion extending towards the rear of said cabinet.

8. Air conditioning apparatus for conditioning air for an enclosure having a wall opening comprising in combination, a cabinet adapted for mounting in said wall opening with portions pro said evaporator compa jecting on opposite sides of said wall, means dividing said cabinet into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment, refrigerating apparatusincluding an evaporator in said eva orator compartment-and a condenser in said condenser compartment, means including a fan for drawing outside air in over one portion of said condenser and discharging said air to the outside over another portion of said condenser, and means including a damper for closing off the flow of outside air over said condenser and for directing air from said enclosure over one poi-- tion of said condenser, said last named means including a duct leading from the room and pass ing through said wall opening andleading into the condenser compartment, said duct having a vertical portion adjacent the front wall of said cabinet and a horizontal portion extending towards the rear of said cabinet, means for flowing air in thermal exchange with said evaporator, the Walls of said evaporator compartment having one opening for discharging air into said enclosure and having another opening for discharging air into the outside atmosphere, said damper serving to control the flow of air through one of ment openings.

J LOWELL GIBSON. 

